Planning The Perfect Halloween Party!

Since October has made its appearance, most Fall activities are up and running (apple picking, haunted houses etc). Of course that means the excitement of Halloween is just starting to build as well. One of the best parts of Halloween is throwing a Halloween party! Here are some great tips to make your party a spooky hit.....

• Add some Orange, purple or green light to the room to give it a festive and spooky feel as guests arrive. Halloween lights now come in so many shapes and color combination, so you can really get creative in this department!

• Purchase a few great albums with sounds from the Haunted House or spooky music. If you really want to customize it, make your own mix! Just be sure to include plenty of ghosts, ghouls, witches and chains rattling around to give your party guests a chill! Most importantly, know your audience by choosing an age appropriate soundtrack for your party.

• Classic games like Bobbing for Apples, Scavenger Hunts or even Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin and a Jack-O-Lantern Beanbag Toss are always crowd pleasers. For more mature crowds, consider doing an elaborate Murder Mystery Game

• Spooky stories in the dark can be a fun and frightening way to make the night memorable (but could also lead to bad dreams!!!). Make up your own on the spot, turn it into a game where everyone gathers in a circle and takes turn building on the story, or find some good short stories to read or act out in dramatic style.

Here are a few books to consider:

• Have a fun assortment of Halloween themed food and drinks on the table. Perhaps some Mummy Dogs and Witches Brew to drink...these are simple snacks and drinks that can make for a festive Halloween spread.

• Hold a pumpkin carving contest and include a prize for the one voted 'Best Looking Pumpkin' at the party. Something simple like a gift card for Starbucks, iTunes, Best Buy or a popular restaurant is sure to motivate creativity. Be sure to provide plenty of carving tools and templates or inform your guests if they are required to bring their own.

Remember, the spookier the better, people love a good scare on Halloween so don't skimp on the decorations! Atmosphere is everything, so you'll want to have skeletons hanging on the door, jack o lanterns on the porch and ghosts all over the house. Have a great party!!!!

For more tips to make your Halloween party memorable check out our Pinterest page!

Roundup: 20 Apple Recipes for Fall

September is generally the month that is best for apple picking, but what do you do with all those delicious apples once you get them home? Here is a roundup of some delicious recipes I found online that are sure to get you drooling!

The BEST Hot Apple Cider

Baked Apple Cider Doughnut Holes	Fresh Apple Cake

Easy Apple Tart

Apple Blossom Tart	Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Dip

Apple Harvest Bread	Caramel Apple Cake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cream Horns

Apple Butter Swirled Pancakes

Caramel Apple Muffins	Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

Apple Pie Bars

Caramel Apple Trifles	Apple Pie Caramel Apple

Apple Cider Floats

Mini Apple Pie	Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Walnuts

For more Fall recipes, follow our Pinterest board:

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

Tonight at sundown, Rosh Hashanah will begin with the sighting of the new moon! Rosh Hashanah is a sacred Jewish festival, also known as the Feast of Trumpets or the Jewish New Year. It begins with 100 shofar blasts (made from a ram's horn) and lasts 2 days and 2 nights. The Feast of Trumpets is one of 7 feasts given by God in Leviticus 23 of the Holy Scriptures. According to verse 24, it is to be "day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts". The Feast of Trumpets is also mentioned again in Numbers 29:1-6. It is then followed by the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles for a total of 10 feast days, also known as Yom Kippur.

An audio sample of the shofar blasts:

Jewish people continue to celebrate this sacred holiday every year, which includes a traditional holiday feast of challah bread, pomegranates and apples dipped in honey. It is also considered a time of reflection, renewal and repentance. Some go to a lake, river or sea to recite prayers and symbolically cast their sins into the water, leaving old shortcomings behind and starting the new year with a clean slate.


Though Christians are not required to observe Torah law, it should be of great interest due to its Biblical context. The Jewish feasts are not only a time to honor God, but are also considered "appointed times" and as Paul tells us in Colossians 2:16-17, "are a shadow of things to come". Four of the 7 feasts were fulfilled with the death (Passover), burial (Feast of Unleavened Bread) and resurrection (Feast of First Fruits) of Christ and the day of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks). Prophetically speaking, there are still 3 Jewish feasts to be fulfilled in the Second Coming of Christ, which includes the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement & Feast of Tabernacles. To learn more about Rosh Hashanah and its traditions, check out the graphic chart and links below!

Rosh Hashanah on Wikipedia

Judaism 101: Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah on Chabad.org

Hebrew4Christians: Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

CBN: Rosh Hashanah

Apple Picking + New Poll

There are many fabulous Fall traditions we love to take part in. One such tradition is definitely apple picking. Nothing beats hitting the orchard and selecting your fruit fresh from the tree. We enjoy them just as they are, but we may prefer doctoring them up a bit by making pies, sauce, jelly, butter and dripping loads of gooey caramel over them. Ever wondered which apple to choose for your desired snack and when it's best to pick it? Here is an excellent website with all the information you will need to fulfill your apple picking needs!

http://www.pickyourown.org/apples.htm

Now that you've done a little research, let us know which apple variety you like best by voting in our recent poll (located on the left sidebar)!

Making Caramel Apples (Epic Fail)

Caramel apples are a staple treat of the Fall season. They are delicious and come in a variety of different flavors. One can be very creative when making them at home and choose ingredients that suit their taste! After looking over a few recipes online, my husband and I decided to try our hand at making some Rocky Road caramel apples. It looked rather simple, but after reading some comments about the store bought caramel being too soft and sliding off the apples, we came to the conclusion that it would be best to try making the caramel from scratch using a suggested recipe. We got some very surprising results...

CHEWY CARAMEL

PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 30 Min
READY IN: 40 Min
SERVING SIZE: 32 (1 lb)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or margarine
1 pound light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.

---

ROCKY ROAD CARAMEL APPLES
SERVING SIZE: 6

INGREDIENTS:

6 Granny Smith apples
6 wooden sticks
1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted (we used chopped nuts)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS:

1. Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple. Place apples on a cookie sheet covered with lightly greased aluminum foil.


2. Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until caramel melts and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Dip each apple into the caramel and gently run apples around insides of saucepan to scrape off some of the caramel. Scrape excess caramel from the apple bottoms using the side of the saucepan.

Pretty messy at this point, but tastes great!

3. Combine the miniature marshmallows and pecans on a dinner plate. Roll the apples in the mixture to coat. Place on the aluminum foil and chill.


4. Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the apples and return them to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Here is what I got (SAD)

Here is what it was supposed to look like (YUM)

Despite making the caramel from scratch, it was still too soft and did not stick to the apple at all! I don't know if it was due to not cooking it long enough or from not letting it cool down long enough. Sadly, all the toppings slid off and formed a gooey mess around the base of the apple. I must admit though, it may not have been aesthetically pleasing, but it was delicious just the same! Oh well, there's always next year and what matters most is that we had fun. Gotta be able to laugh at yourself once in a while!

I've learned my lesson. Next time I'll go this route